MORAL COMPASS: Great Places to Go Where the Going Does Good

travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/

www.huffingtonpost.com/author/karen-rubin

instagram.com/krubin0830/

instagram.com/famtravltr/

‘Like’ us on facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

Twitter: @TravelFeatures

Active Travel, Cultural Travel, European travel

Vagabond Small Group Tours of Ireland, Designed for Active Travelers, Sets Spring Departures

November 29, 2018 MoralCompass

*Vagabond Adventure Tours of Ireland are designed for active travelers who want to mix up hiking and biking and other outdoor adventures with history, culture, dining and shopping.*

COUNTY WICKLOW, Ireland – Touring Ireland in March and April means fun-filled festivals, better value flights, quieter roads, lambkins, bluebell-carpeted woodlands. Vagabond Adventure Tours an award-winning travel company offers two styles of culturally immersive travel.

Vagabond Adventure Tours are designed for active travelers who want to mix up hiking and biking and other outdoor adventures with history, culture, dining and shopping. An 8 Day Wild Irish Rover Tour (Vagabond Adventure Tours,https://vagabondtoursofireland.com/tour/ireland-trips-award-winning-8-day/) departs March 10, 17, 24, 31 and April 7, 14, 21 and 28.

Why wild? Because the tour, recognized by National Geographic Traveler as a Top 50 Tours of a Lifetime, is off-road as much as it’s on, relying on signature 4×4 tour vehicles to go where other sightseeing companies tend not to tread.

Why Irish? Because the tour blends pubs, people, castles and lore into the hearts of active travelers.

Why roving? Guests are never rushed traveling from the west coast of Ireland and the peninsulas of the southwest all the way up to Connemara.

“Our itinerary of the southern half of Ireland keeps guests on their toes and exploring under their own steam power. In fact, they’re sometimes, after a walk or cycle, grateful for a sit down in the 4×4,” said Rob Rankin, founder and owner with Amy Rankin. “Every stone we walk over has a story to tell. Ruins and castles are, after all, about people.”

The €1,919 per person double rate (before the early booking discount) includes eight full days of touring, seven nights’ accommodation with breakfasts, services of a professional Vagabond tour guide, guided walks, entrance fees to historical and archaeological sites, demonstrations of local craftsmen at work, ferry excursion tickets and taxes. Activities require a good level of fitness for walking and cycling 2.5 hours each on undulating paths. Additional 2019 departures are weekly on Sundays through mid-October.

Driftwood Journeys of Discovery follow similar itineraries but at an intimate and in-depth looking and lingering pace, sans the physical exertion. A 6 Day Northern Island Tour (https://vagabondtoursofireland.com/tour/6-day-northern-ireland-tour/) offers spring departures April 7 and 21.

“This tour brings tourists into a region that for decades was overlooked because of border issues,” said Rankin. “Basically, nobody wanted to visit Northern Ireland because of the ‘troubles’ there. This only started to change in the early 2000s really. The northwest county of Donegal, despite being in the Republic of Ireland (the ‘south’), was almost cut off from the rest of the state geographically. Thus, its tourism did not develop in the same way as in other parts of the country.” A border region deemed “very hard” up until early in the 21st century emerged with its own identity and culture, partly formed by the years of political turmoil and violence.

The per person double rate of €1,509 (before the early booking discount) includes six full days on tour, five nights’ accommodation with full Irish breakfasts, some entrance fees and relevant taxes. Additional 2019 departures are May 5, 19; June 16, 30; July 14, 28; Aug. 11, 25; Sept. 8, 22; and Oct. 6.

For all of the current specials and promotions offered by Vagabond Small Group Tours of Ireland visit online; https://vagabondtoursofireland.com/special-offers/.

Vagabond staff curate locally owned accommodations, pubs and restaurants that help serve their goal of authenticity. In the end the mission is to have guests “love Ireland as much as we do.” Transport is in a custom 4×4 Land Rover or Mercedes ‘Vagatron’ that allows access beyond where regular tour buses go.

Vagabond Small Group Tours of Ireland has been revealing the hidden treasures of Ireland through its carefully planned and executed tours since 2002. Last year the Irish Tourism Awards singled the company out as offering Best Adventure Experience, and also in 2017 it became Ireland’s first tour operator to achieve Ecotourism Gold Level Certification.

For details on all of Vagabond Small Group Tours of Ireland itineraries, availability and for 2019 reservations, visit https://vagabondtoursofireland.com/. Call toll free (from the US) 1.833-230-0288; in Ireland 00353 (0) 1 5634358; or email: [email protected].

Vagabond Adventure Tours has been creating opportunities for visitors to embrace Ireland by walking, biking, horseback riding and kayaking its lands and waters, imbibing history and culture along the way since 2002. In 2013 the company was honored by National Geographic Traveler with a Top 50 Tour of a Lifetime distinction. In 2015 and 2017 Vagabond Small Group Tours of Ireland was named the “Best Adventure Experience” at the Irish Tourism Awards. In 2017, Vagabond became Ireland’s first tour operator to achieve Ecotourism Gold Level Certification and in 2018, Vagabond Tours won The Green Tourism & Entertainment category in Ireland’s most prestigious Green (business) Awards.

For more travel features, visit:

travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/

www.huffingtonpost.com/author/karen-rubin

instagram.com/krubin0830/

instagram.com/famtravltr/

‘Like’ us on facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

Twitter: @TravelFeatures

Active Travel, Adventure Travel, bike trips, Cultural Travel, cycling trips, Historic Places

Ride & Seek Announces 990-Mile Berlin-to-Budapest “Iron Curtain” Cycling Tour

travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/

Ride & Seek ‘s nearly 1,000 mile Berlin-to-Budapest “Iron Curtain” epic cycling adventure includes five capitals and five distinct cultures connected through a historic period that changed the world.

(Provence, France) – Ride & Seek is introducing a new Berlin-to-Budapest “Iron Curtain” epic cycling adventure that includes five capitals and five distinct cultures connected through a historic period that changed the world. This nearly 1,000-mile bicycle tour begins in Berlin where the fall of the Berlin Wall signaled the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War. The trip travels from north to south along some of the best cycling routes Europe has to offer, weaving its way south through Western Europe and what was once part of the Soviet Union. It is offered in two stages– Berlin to Prague over eight days and Prague to Budapest over 11 days. The “Iron Curtain” tour is slated for August 18 – September 4, 2019, and starts at $8,318 USD. To view the full tour, visit https://rideandseek.com/tour/iron-curtain-berlin-to-budapest/.

“This exciting new Berlin-to-Budapest tour crosses the divide between communism and democratic capitalism,” said Ride & Seek Founder Dylan Reynolds. “The history on the tour is still palpable and it is unlike our other historic cycling adventures in that the collapse of the Iron Curtain was witnessed real-time by the majority of our guests.”

Guests will cycle past palaces and through Sorbian villages to the Polish border. In the Czech Republic, they will ride through the romantic countryside of the Czech Middle Mountains and follow the banks of the Elbe River. Bohemia provides peaceful cycling interspersed with beautiful castles, medieval and renaissance towns surrounded by monumental walls. Biking close to the Austrian border, riders will pass well-preserved fortifications from the beginning of WWII. In Austria, they’ll cycle along wooded hillsides and through green meadows onto the Danube River and into Vienna on beautifully kept cycle paths.

From one capital to the next, guests will follow the blue waters of the Danube River past the luxurious palaces of the Viennese nobility to Slovakia’s capital, Bratislava. The group will continue through Hungary to the baroque city of Györ, and then travel through rolling hills famous for its racehorse studs before returning to the Danube River. The last day will include a ride along one of the most scenic parts of the Danube, where the river enters steep hills, creating stunning meanders into the lively heart of Budapest.

“For those who enjoy beer, this trip will not disappoint,” said Reynolds. “Each of the countries we travel through will tell you their beer is the best in the world, but you will have to make up your own mind.”

Iron Curtain Bike Tour Highlights:

Seeing the Berlin Wall and Checkpoint Charlie

Cycling along the rivers and canals that cover much of Eastern Germany

Following the Oder-Neisse River along the Polish border to Görlitz, one of Germany’s most beautiful cities

Rolling through the castle-and-fortress-filled Czech Middle Mountains along the banks of the Elbe River

Exploring Telč, a jewel of the Czech Republic and inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List

Drinking the world’s best beers: German wheat beers, Czech pilsner, Austrian lager and Hungarian ales

Touring Budapest, an architectural and historical treasure trove along the Danube

Sampling Austrian schnitzel, Viennese-style coffee, chocolate Sachertorte cake, Hungarian Goulash, and German bratwurst.

Ride & Seek is a worldwide adventure cycling company offering historical itineraries with quality lodging, fine gastronomy, and cultural immersion. Cyclists not only see and ride some of the greatest roads in Europe but also visit some of the most spectacular sites as well. Providing a cultural insight into the areas both historically and gastronomically is central. Historical journeys and cultural adventures are specialties. www.rideandseek.com.

For more travel features, visit:

goingplacesfarandnear.com

www.huffingtonpost.com/author/karen-rubin

goingplacesnearandfar.wordpress.com

moralcompasstravel.info

goingplacesfarandnear.tumblr.com/

‘Like’ us on facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

Active Travel, Adventure Travel, bike trips, cycling trips

Grasshopper Adventures Introduces Tour Exploring Thailand by Bike from Bangkok to Phuket

travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/

(Bangkok, Thailand) — Grasshopper Adventures is introducing a 10-day tour cycling the Gulf of Thailand, Khao Sok National Park, and the Andaman Coast. Five days are spent riding along the Gulf of Thailand on deserted blacktop and concrete roads through sleepy villages and coconut groves, followed by three days of riding through Khao Sok National Park to the Andaman Coast and down to Phuket.

“This is a cycling holiday in the true sense of the term,” said Grasshopper Adventures President Adam Platt-Hepworth. “We’ll enjoy the satisfaction of riding the majority of the distance from Hua Hin down to Phuket, whilst taking in places that most visitors to Thailand don’t get to see.”

On the gulf side of Thailand, guests will ride on mostly flat terrain and quiet backroads, with the exception of two short highway sections. In the hinterland, there are some more sustained hills, but these are rarely longer than 2 km and nothing that could be described as steep. Guests will share the road with some traffic through Khao Sok National Park due to the absence of backroads and from Khao Lak to Phuket.

Tour Highlights Include:

Visiting the sleepy beach town of Pranburi
Biking through Sam Roi Yod National Park and hiking to Phraya Nakhon Cave
Overnighting at a family-owned lodge on the beach in Chumphon
Cycling through rubber plantations and past limestone cliffs
Soaking in hot springs and indulging in delicious Thai cuisine
Riding over the bridge to Phuket Island and overnighting on the beach

The trip totals 574 km by bike and starts at $2,350 USD. Multiple departure dates are available throughout the year. For more information, visit here or call 844-874-3720.

Grasshopper Adventures is a cycling and active travel specialist, headquartered in Bangkok. They host more than 25,000 travelers of all ages and abilities, on tours ranging from one day to two weeks in Japan, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, China, Uzbekistan, Taiwan, Bhutan & Myanmar. https://www.grasshopperadventures.com

For more travel features, visit:

goingplacesfarandnear.com

www.huffingtonpost.com/author/karen-rubin

goingplacesnearandfar.wordpress.com

moralcompasstravel.info

goingplacesfarandnear.tumblr.com/

‘Like’ us on facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

Active Travel, bike trips, China travel, cycling trips

Grasshopper Adventures Unveils Cycling Tour of China’s Yunnan Province

(Bangkok, Thailand) — Grasshopper Adventures unveiling a new 14-day bike tour exploring the Yunnan Province of China. Intrepid riders will cycle through the ancient towns of the Tea Horse Trail, a network of paths winding through the mountains, from mystical Shangri-La to the breathtaking Tiger Leaping Gorge to Lijiang. The tour covers 510 km by bike, starts at $4,900 USD, and is scheduled for June 10-23, 2019.

“Our guests will ride through one of the highest gorges in the world, carved out over millennia by the Yangtze River and surrounded by the dramatic Jade Dragon and Haba Snow Mountains,” said Grasshopper Adventures President Adam Platt-Hepworth. “Along the way, they’ll visit ancient villages with captivating rituals and traditions seemingly unchanged by the test of time.”

The two-week adventure begins in the foothills bordering Tibet, with the dramatic backdrop of Yunnan Province. This is a land of mysticism, spirituality and jaw-dropping landscapes where ancient cultures meet the modern world. Guests will ride from China’s alpine utopia of Shangri-La through the stunning landscape of Tiger Leaping Gorge, to the ancient Bai Kingdom city of Dali. The majority of the riding is on small roads through villages with minimal traffic.

Tour Highlights:

Visiting the world’s largest prayer wheel and the stunning Songzanlin Monastery

Exploring the mythical utopia of Shangri-La

Riding through Tiger Leaping Gorge

Discovering the ancient Bai Kingdom city of Dali

Exploring the picturesque backstreets of Lijiang

Touring Jian Chuan with its quaint canals and bridge

Cycling to the historic town of Shaxi

For more info, visit https://www.grasshopperadventures.com/en/scheduled-tours/spiritual-shangri -la.html.

For more travel features, visit:

travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/

www.huffingtonpost.com/author/karen-rubin

instagram.com/krubin0830/

instagram.com/famtravltr/

‘Like’ us on facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

Twitter: @TravelFeatures

small ship cruising

AdventureSmith Explorations Outlines Benefits of Visiting Hawaiian Islands by 36-Guest Yacht

*Instead of flying from Hawaiian island to island, AdventureSmith Explorations suggests a multi-day small ship cruise.*

TRUCKEE, CA – The experts in small-ship expedition cruising have a few tips for experiencing the diverse cultures, landscapes and ecosystems of the Hawaiian Islands: Instead of flying from island to island, AdventureSmith Explorations suggests a multi-day small ship cruise that allows visitors to:

Explore four islands by accessing secluded anchorages via the water instead of flying into one airport after another, a process that devours precious vacation time waiting in lines at airport counters, gates and baggage claim
Escape the ever-present throngs of land-based visitors
Unpack just once for the entire week
Visit coveted, remote beaches with far-fewer sun-worshipers present
View coastlines inaccessible by land
Witness epic sunsets from the water every night (maybe even the “green flash”?)
Enjoy the leisurely pace that a yacht allows, keeping with Hawaii’s true laid-back nature

The cruise that AdventureSmith Explorations highly recommends is the 8-day Hawaiian Seascapes itinerary aboard the 36-guest motor yacht, Safari Explorer. And to reward travelers for new reservations made by Jan. 31, 2019, on departures from now through April 2019, guests will enjoy $100 off the beginning rate of $3,995 per person double. Through April 2019 this includes complimentary premium beer and spirits (and the privilege of enjoying an on-board wine library and piano bar), plus a massage. Right on the yacht is all of the gear needed to enjoy water sports and guided activities: hiking, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, yoga and snorkeling (including a night snorkel excursion to look for giant Pacific manta rays). Guests are served by an attentive 15-member crew.

Included in the island-hopping itinerary are Moloka’i and Lana’i, islands that most visitors to the region never see. The adventure begins over a champagne toast in Moloka’i where there are no stop lights nor high rises but just the new-found harmony of hiking to a towering waterfall in Halawa’s cathedral valley, one of the island’s most historic places, and celebrating a life far removed from the maddening crowd over a pa’ina (feast), complete with a home-style Hawaiian jam session.

Ship-goers will be on the lookout for humpback whales off Maui enroute to the next stop at the “private island” of Lana’i where 1,000-foot sea cliffs plunge into the Pacific that once surrounded an ancient princess and her sugarcane fields. Here guests snorkel among coral gardens near a sea turtle habitat. The Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary adjacent to Lana’i, Moloka’i and Maui provides front-row seats through marine breeding grounds while searching for dolphins, whales and other marine life.

Then it’s on to the Big Island of Hawaii where a morning on coconut palm-fringed Honomalino Bay offers snorkeling, stand-up paddleboarding and kayaking surrounded by colorful corals, sponges and tropical fish. Guests explore tunnels known as lava tubes, and on the water go by kayak and skiff to pay calls on marine animals and to sail into Kealakekua Bay where Captain Cook fell to the hands of the natives in 1779. Later guests stroll through the historic town of Kailua-Kona.

For details on all AdventureSmith’s small ship cruises worldwide, day-to-day itineraries, availability and reservations, phone: 866-575-2875 toll-free or visit www.adventuresmithexplorations.com.

For more travel features, visit:

travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/

www.huffingtonpost.com/author/karen-rubin

instagram.com/krubin0830/

instagram.com/famtravltr/

‘Like’ us on facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

Twitter: @TravelFeatures

Active Travel, Adventure Travel, hiking, National Parks

Austin Adventures Expands Grand Canyon Offerings, Special Perks to Honor National Park Service Centennial

*Austin Adventures is inviting guests to “Go Grand” with them, offering perks and special surprises on all of their Grand Canyon tour departures in 2019 © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

BILLINGS, MT – After six million years the Grand Canyon and its liquid heartbeat, the Colorado River, have more than a few stories to tell. But it was the National Park Service one century ago that began registering and interpreting these stories for some six million domestic and international visitors annually.

The official Grand Canyon National Park centennial takes place on Feb. 26, 2019. And Austin Adventures, a leading active travel company that frequents the cream of America’s iconic parks of the West, is inviting guests to “Go Grand” with them, offering perks and special surprises on all of their Grand Canyon tour departures in 2019.

To mark and help celebrate the Grand Canyon’s Centennial:

Each trip will feature an educational element – the most exciting and interesting places to explore and it cultural and natural history – introduced by expert guides knowledgeable in the geology of the Grand Canyon. Local walk-on experts will interact with groups as situations allow. Specific attention will be paid to the amazing geography but also to the significant history of the people, including the 21 traditional associated tribes calling the Grand Canyon their home.

Austin Adventures’ logo day packs will be gifted to kids ages 12 and under who are guests on a tour. Each pack is full of Grand Canyon memorabilia, keepsakes and educational material such as a field guide, map and activity book.

Adults will have $100 donated in their name by Austin Adventures to the Grand Canyon Conservancy that is the official, nonprofit partner of the park (https://www.grandcanyon.org/)

Extra educational elements will be woven into a visit to the South Rim in conjunction with Grand Canyon Conservancy.

“There is no question as to why the Grand Canyon is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the natural world. A must-see on everyone’s bucket list, we at Austin Adventures have been sharing the “big ditch” with adventure seekers for over two decades,” adds Dan Austin, company founder and president. “You really need to do more than just view it from an overlook, you must journey inside and experience it to really understand its magnitude and magnificence!”

In 2019 there will be nine departures of Austin Adventures’ Arizona: Grand Canyon National Park Vacation (up from seven in 2018). Of these, seven trip dates are family-focused and two are for adults-only. Six-day family departures are March 17, 24; June 30; July 7, 14, 21, 28. The rates are $2,998 for adults and $2,398 to $2,698 for children in shared accommodations. See https://www.austinadventures.com/packages/arizona-family-grand-canyon/.

Six-day adult-only departures are in the fall when kids are back in school, Sept. 22 and 29. The rate is $2,998 ($580 single supplement). See https://www.austinadventures.com/packages/grand-canyon-vacation-tour/.

And in the spirit of celebration, Austin Adventures is also introducing a new-for-2019 program; Arizona/Utah: Grand Canyon to Bryce & Zion. This expertly crafted 8-day journey wraps together three national parks using Las Vegas as the gateway. Guests journey into the mysterious depths of the Grand Canyon, hike through the stone forest hoodoos and spires of Bryce and navigate the world-renowned Narrows of Zion Park. The per person rate is $3,598 ($680 single supplement). Departures in 2019 are May 5-12, May 15-22 and May 25-June 1. See https://www.austinadventures.com/packages/grand-canyon-bryce-zion-2/

For more information, questions and trip availability, call 1.800.575.1540 or email [email protected]. For a full roster of Austin Adventures’ 2019 trips, cruises and distinctive accommodations on seven continents please visit http://www.austinadventures.com.

Based in Billings, Montana, Austin Adventures has spent over 40 years building an international reputation as a top provider of luxury, small group, multisport tours for adults and families to the world’s most captivating destinations. They have been acknowledged twice by Travel + Leisure Magazine with the prestigious World’s Best Awards along with other national media accolades and distinctions. Austin Adventures has perfected the art of creating itineraries featuring exceptional regional dining, distinctive accommodations, incredible guides and exhilarating activities, all while keeping all-inclusive rates and services the norm. In addition to scheduled group departures on all seven continents, Austin Adventures has developed a reputation as the leader in customized trip planning and execution, all backed by the industry’s best money-back satisfaction guarantee. Austin Adventures is a Virtuoso Preferred Tour Operator.

For more travel features, visit:

travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/

www.huffingtonpost.com/author/karen-rubin

travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/

instagram.com/krubin0830/

instagram.com/famtravltr/

‘Like’ us on facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

Twitter: @TravelFeatures

Adventure Travel, Cultural Travel

Global Scavenger Hunt to Award $50,000 Winner-Take-All Prize for 2019

November 16, 2018 MoralCompass

*South Africa may be one of the countries visited on the 2019 edition of the Global Scavenger Hunt (© Eric Leiberman/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

SANTA ROSA, USA – A $50,000 winner-take-all cash prize awaits the first-place team in the 2019 world travel championship. The around the world event, known as The Global Scavenger Hunt, is set to take place between April 12 and May 4, 2019, and is now accepting applications for entry.

Imagine Indiana Jones-types, Amazing Race aspirants and some of the world’s most traveled adventurers, all willing to test their travel IQ against other world class international travelers in an around-the-world travel adventure competition that crowns The World’s Greatest Travelers, can apply for the $50,000 winner-take all prize at GlobalScavengerHunt.com.

The 2019 World Travel Championship Fact Sheet:

What: The Global Scavenger Hunt is an annual around-the-world travel competition that takes teams on A Blind Date with the World, tasked with a series of daily culturally-oriented micro adventures designed to test their travel IQ’s.

When: April 2019, 23-days between April 12^th and May 4^th. Teams will travel from Los Angeles to New York—the long way—around the world.

Who: Limited to teams of two travelers. The $25,000 per team entry fee includes: all international airfare, First Class hotels, 40+% of meals, and special event gear. Travelers are interviewed for suitability and single travelers are welcome to apply.

Prizes: A $50,000 winner-take-all cash prize to the winning team along with The World’s Greatest Travelers crown and trophy.

Where: The circumnavigation of the globe will touch down in 10 secret countries—that may include: Brazil, Peru, Myanmar, Nepal, Oman, South Africa and Romania. (It is A Blind Date with the World…and participants won’t become aware of their next destination until 4-hours prior to departure!)

Why: Aside from the $50,000 in cash, the Trophy and bragging rights; Teams will be travel a million kilometers to help raise funds for charities that provide micro-loans and build co-ed elementary schools in nations like: Kenya, Niger, Sri Lanka, Sierra Leone and Ecuador.

How: For additional information visit GlobalScavengerHunt.com to apply or call 310-281-7809.

For more travel features, visit:

goingplacesfarandnear.com

www.huffingtonpost.com/author/karen-rubin

goingplacesnearandfar.wordpress.com

moralcompasstravel.info

goingplacesfarandnear.tumblr.com/

‘Like’ us on facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

travel philanthropy, Wildlife travel

Ultimate Holiday Gift: Rainforest Trust Hosts Public Auction for Naming Rights to 12 New Species Found in South America

November 16, 2018 MoralCompass

In time for the holiday season, Rainforest Trust is hosting the largest ever public auction of species naming rights. Holiday shoppers will be able to buy the gift of naming one of 12 new species recently discovered in nature reserves the Trust and its partners established in South America. These new-to-science species include a blue-eyed yellow frog, speckled red and green frogs, orchids, a trap jaw ant, a forest mouse, a worm-like caecilian, and a big-eyed red salamander. All proceeds directly protect the habitat of the specific plant or critter, helping save them from extinction.

The auction takes place primarily online and by phone. Pre-bidding starts November 8 online, and goes until December 8, 2018. The live auction takes place in Washington, DC during a private event on December 8 at 8pm ET as well as online and by phone for pre-registered bidders. The Freeman’s Auction House will be conducting the auction with support from Invaluable, an auction aggregator. Both are donating their services. Interested shoppers should visit https://auctions.freemansauction.com/auction-catalog/1618B to learn more and to pre-register for the auction. The minimum bid is $10,000.

Naming a species is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for people, companies, and nonprofits:

Interested in conservation and abating climate change
In search of a truly unique gift with direct impact
Wanting to leave a legacy

Over half of the world’s rainforests have been destroyed, and almost 70,000 acres more are lost every day. Rainforests are among the most important natural resources. They mitigate climate change, are a source of scientific discovery, and support unique plants and animals that are essential to biodiversity and therefore a healthy planet.

Celebrating 30 years of conservation success, Rainforest Trust is a nonprofit that purchases and protects the most threatened tropical forests, saving endangered wildlife through partnerships and community engagement. With the help of funders and partners, the Rainforest Trust has helped protect 28 million acres of rainforest since 1988. Auctioning the naming rights to the 12 newly discovered species will support the Trust’s work while protecting these fragile species and the nature reserves in which they live.

For more travel features, visit:

goingplacesfarandnear.com

www.huffingtonpost.com/author/karen-rubin

goingplacesnearandfar.wordpress.com

moralcompasstravel.info

travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/

goingplacesfarandnear.tumblr.com/

‘Like’ us on facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

European travel, Holiday travel

Busabout Brings Europe Home for the Holidays

November 16, 2018 MoralCompass

Busabout offers several trips that allow those with itchy feet to celebrate the holidays in exotic locales among like-minded fellow travelers. These late December adventures combine food, fun, and festivities in European locations steeped in holiday spirit, like New Year’s Eve in Edinburgh, Scotland.

BOCA RATON, Fla.– Free-spirited travelers may well reconsider that old expression “home for the holidays” after hearing about the European feasts and festivals they can enjoy on an end-of-year trip with Busabout.

Busabout, the flexible travel expert, offers several trips that allow those with itchy feet to celebrate the holidays in exotic locales among like-minded fellow travelers. These late December adventures combine food, fun, and festivities in fantastic European locations that are steeped in snow and holiday spirit.

Rise Festival 2018 Ski Adventure: Combine hard rigid peaks with penetrating grooves on this ice cool festival adventure to France and England that visits the one and only Rise Festival. Party in mountain bars after shooting down soft-snowy Alpine slopes, mellow-out with meditation marathons in incredible ice caves, and have the chance to mount husky-sleds, helicopters, and snowmobiles. Then attend the unique festival, which merges dance moves with mountain views.9 days; departs December 14, 2018. Priced from $759 pp.

Eastern Festive Trek: This December, discover all the jingles and bells of Eastern Europe, and show Santa you’ve been a good little traveler. Stuff your stockings in the markets of Krakow and Vienna, get merry under the mistletoe in the parties of Krakow, admire the craggy mountains around Zakopane, and ring in the New Year in Prague. You’ll also visit Budapest, Vienna, and Český Krumlov. Even if you’re a little bit naughty, we’ll make sure Santa’s little helpers give you a good gift! 11 days; departs December 22, 2018. Priced from $1,229 pp.

Mega Highland Christmas (operated by HAGGiS): This is one truly traditional Scottish Christmas to remember. Imagine a Highland setting for Christmas, with lochs, glens and rugged mountains. Then add a traditional Christmas dinner with all the trimmings followed by a ceilidh (traditional Scottish dance party) and a dram or two! A wee bit different to sitting by the TV… eh? Throw in a real Christmas cracker, the magnificent Scottish Highlands covered in a blanket of snow, and have the time of your life with Christmas Day spent in a Highland hotel fit for the royals. Visit Edinburgh, Loch Ness, and Inverness. 5 days; departs December 23, 2018. Priced from $799 pp.
Highlands and Hogmanay: Scotland is simply one of the best places in the world to ring in the New Year! On this trip you’ll celebrate it in so many ways: attend the incredible Edinburgh torchlight procession, participate in traditional Scottish ceilidh dancing, attend the sparkling Winter Festival, and party with thousands at the Hogmanay Street Party amid an eye-popping fireworks displays. On New Year’s Day attend the early-morning Aussie and Kiwi New Year celebration before getting the chance to plunge into the sea during the insane “Loony Dook” in the Firth of Forth. This trip also includes a day trip to the stunning Scottish Highlands. 7 days; departs December 27, 2018. Priced from $799 pp.

Busabout offers a distinctive Hop-on Hop-off bus network across Europe and guided Adventure trips around the world, Busabout and its partner companies Shamrocker Adventures and HAGGiS have been helping independent-minded travelers of all ages see the world affordably and without too much hand-holding since 1998. Their “freestyle” form of travel combines the flexibility that independent travelers crave with the best aspects of traditional tours. Sometimes they show you around, other times you are free to explore. Either way, you get plenty of local knowledge of destinations and the chance to make unforgettable memories alongside like-minded friends.

For more information, visit www.busabout.com or call 1-844-888-0216.

Created as a joint initiative between The Travel Corporation’s (TTC) family of brands, The TreadRight Foundation is a not-for-profit working to help safeguard the planet, wildlife & people for generations to come. To date, TreadRight has supported over 50 sustainable tourism projects worldwide. The Foundation’s guiding principle is to encourage sustainable tourism through conservation, leadership and support for communities. The Foundation’s priorities are set by the Steering Committee. Past project partners include WWF, Conservation International, WildAid, The Travel Foundation and The National Trust in the UK. Current initiatives include supporting various women’s social enterprises, the recently announced Wildlife Conservation Society’s Big Cat fund, WE.org and working with inspiring nature advocates like Céline Cousteau, Costas Christ and Terri Irwin. To learn more visit treadright.org; follow on Facebook , Instagram, and Twitter using hashtag #MakeTravelMatter.

For more travel features, visit:

travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/

www.huffingtonpost.com/author/karen-rubin